Gena Beahler
''“Well, looking like an addict is part of my job, after all.” '' Background Gena Buehler has been on the CBI force for 11 years, the last eight in Narcotics. During that time, she has been a highly respected officer at the centre of a number of high-profile drug busts that have made the CBI Narcotics Division one of the most successful Narcotics units in the nation. And somehow, she has done so despite her own addiction to crystal meth. Gena became addicted seven years ago, when she was forced to take the drug in order to avoid blowing her cover in a dangerous sting operation. She was able to conceal her illicit use from her fellow officers, but not her husband, Greg Buehler, who divorced her four years ago. Greg has sole custody of their two-year-old child, Amanda, which was his condition for not revealing her addiction during the divorce proceedings. Since then, Gena’s drug use has increased significantly, and the only thing that has prevented her exposure has been the nature of her newest addiction: a methamphetamine derivative known on the street as “crimson.” The CBI Narcotics Division has become increasingly alarmed at the proliferation of this new designer drug, which chemically appears identical to normal crystal meth, but also has several unique properties. Crimson, as its name implies, appears to be bright red instead of the normal rock-salt appearance of meth. More importantly, crimson is just as addictive and leads to much longer highs. However, despite the fact that the demand for crimson is very high, its street price seems to be kept quite low, suggesting that the process for making crimson is much more efficient than conventional meth. The final effect is unknown to the Narcotics Division — crimson is metabolized by the body more quickly than normal crystal meth, making crimson extremely difficult to detect on standard drug tests. Because of this, not one of the mandatory drug tests to which Gena has submitted during the last year has detected her use and addiction. Gena’s suppliers have kept her in generous supply of crimson in exchange for advance warning of Narcotics Division operations designed to bust the supply ring. Gena lives in mortal fear of the day her betrayal of her fellow officers will lead to one of their deaths. Her greatest fear is that, when that day comes, she’ll be so in the thrall of crimson that she won’t even care. Description Gena was once very attractive and still can be if the situation calls for it. But her beauty is fading, worn away by years of stress and obscured by the hunted expression common to undercover officers. A natural blonde, Gena stands about five foot seven. She is in good shape but no longer exercises regularly. While undercover, she tends to dress vaguely “slutty,” but when in the office, she favours dress pants and crisp pants, and she keeps her hair pulled back in a ponytail. Normally, Gena exudes professionalism when around other cops. She is mildly dismissive of patrol officers, and indeed any fellow officers who do not perform undercover work, as she feels only fellow narcs truly understand the stresses of her life. If confronted with the truth of her addiction, her reaction may be suicidal despair or genuine relief that she no longer needs to keep up the pretence of normality — and possibly both emotions at the same time.